you should see me in a crown

Harper Lennox. 17. District 9. Tribute for the 79th Hunger Games A thief is a thief. They will steal the rings from your fingers and the love from your heart.

[dreamsbornofgrain]

Aspen stood there just inside the door of the training center a moment praying she didn’t look too lost. She hadn’t felt this lost at the start of her own training, but then again, no one expected tributes to know what they were doing. Mentors however, they were supposed to know these things. She wished she had someone to ask, but District Nine’s other mentors were quite old and had elected not to make the trip to the Capitol now that they had someone to take their place. Right, she could figure this out.

“Hey…” Aspen said to the person next to her. “I was thinking of heading over to the first-aid or camouflage station, did you want to come?”

@ttwstarters​

[harper-lennox]

“Well I’m all camouflaged out for the morning.” She’d spent an hour already listening to the instructor talk about how mud and stillness were her friends. They’d gone over different terrains and had nothing but criticism for her work. She could coat herself in three layers of swamp dirt but it wouldn’t change the fact that she was a compulsive fiddler. 

“How about lunch instead?” She wanted to talk to her mentor about her plan, sit her down somewhere quiet. She wasn’t sure how Aspen would feel about it. 

[harper-lennox]

“Might be the only thing you’ve got in there.” There had been a Games in the earlier years where Tributes were only armed with maces. While it wasn’t a very popular year, it was still very much a possibility that The Capitol could limit the kids to only one weapon. Or it could be all that she could get her hands on. “Don’t have to throw them, either. If you have to, could always be at closer range.”

Dorian didn’t like to think anyone or anything was a lost cause. He wanted to offer at least something for her to take from the station; training only lasted for so long. “Any weapons you think you’d do better with?”

She held her last throwing knife in her hand, the hilt resting gently against her palm. It was so light, so well balanced, and definitely not for her. It was too small to imagine wielding at close range. If she had a weapon, she wanted something that would end her opponent quick and painless. “I think I’ve got the gist on how to use this from close range. Pointy end first and all.”

She shook her head at his question. “Not unless they put a scythe in the arena.”

[harper-lennox]

She was happy to see Harper, offering a small smile in greeting to the other girl. The night of the Parade had been filled with having information dumped on her as soon as she got off the chariot and then heading to the Seventh floor to get ready for bed to train the next morning. Not much room to get to talk to Harper, or anyone else, really.

“There’s a fancy way to throw a punch?” she teased. Ashten shook out her hand slightly, hoping Harper didn’t notice that yes, she did have her fingers wrapped around her thumb and they could gloss right over that. She made another fist, this time as Harper told her, and she glanced at her, “Like this?”

“There must be. There’s a fancy way to do everything around here.” She’d spent the night following the tribute parade in her bedroom playing with all the remote controls. There was a bath with jets that massaged her feet and headphones to listen to music. (Though there were none of the rustic songs she’d grown up on in the playlist.) “Sitting, standing, eating, sneezing, smiling you name it and, according to my stylist, I’m doing it wrong.” 

She reached out a gently nudged Ashten’s wrist so that she could take a look. “Thumb over the knuckles, I figure that’s about right. I’ve only ever punch one person though so I’m no expert.”

[harper-lennox]

TASK 003 // PAINT ME LIKE ONE OF YOUR CAPITOL GIRLS

"Wheatfield with crows," by Sergey Lesnikov

[dorian-hawthorne]

Dorian couldn’t stand being up in the Sponsor Lounge for too long. Even though speaking with sponsors was essential to earning their sponsorship for their Tributes, there was only so much of the self centered, one sided conversations he could take. Sometimes he wished he had brought Rosie with him just to have an excuse to break away from the conversation, but she was with a babysitter, who had been frantically texting him for ways to try and coax Rosie to calm down. After a phone call and many reassurances that he and daddy would be back for lunch, the texts had calmed down a bit.

He had started to make his way over to the knives station. He watched the person practice a throw, brow slightly knit in observation. “Not bad,” he commented, “might have a pointer or two to help your aim.”

@ttwstarters

[harper-lennox]

She sucked. It probably didn’t help that she was horrendously near-sighted and, as there were few doctors  in district nine, she’d spent her life working through it. If she made one knife hit the target it was more out of luck than anything approaching skill. Her trainer had insisted she have a go at all the weapons though so there she was. She was prepared for that trainer to be the one next to her but when she turned it was a man, probably to old to be in the training business. NO uniform, so she figured a mentor.

“Don’t waste them on me,” she told him. “I won’t be embarrassing myself with these in the arena.”

[gemofpanem]

Training, finally somewhere Briella felt perfectly at ease. The Parade had been fine, but she was eager to show off her skills. Naturally she gravitated towards the weapons and quickly picked up a bow and a quiver of arrows. “Want to try?” She asked the person that settled in the space next to her as she shot one of her arrows. An arrow that would have been buried in someone’s eye socked had it been a real person and not a dummy. The second one found a home right in the heart.

“I hear the simulator is a riot, should we try that instead? Is that more your style?” Briella asked because she knew as a career, certain things were expected of her. Sure she should check out some of the other stations, but right now she needed to establish herself as a career.

@ttwstarters

[harper-lennox]

Briella looked mighty majestic with the bow and arrow, but that was no news to her. She knew the careers were lethal and she was counting on them being at least competent in their positions. So she stood to the side giving the mandatory raised eyebrows.

“I don’t think any of this is my style really,” she told her honestly. “But you’re crazy talented.” She’d have to be sure to keep out of this archer’s focus. “It’s weird your partner doesn’t trust in that.”

[ashtendewitt]

As much as Ashten wanted to take up the axes, she had a feeling it was best to steer clear of them until the private training sessions. That was when her best skills would be put to the test, and she didn’t need to draw too much attention to herself just yet, especially from the competition. So she had wandered around the different stations– navigation, first aid, camouflage. Things that didn’t seem terribly important until the Tribute was dying because they didn’t know how to stitch up a wound or blend into their surroundings. 

But she knew she needed a back up in case she didn’t get an axe in the Arena. Something that would be a good substitute. So she found herself at the hand-to-hand combat station, stretching to warm herself up before she would find a sparring partner or a free trainer. Ashten started to head toward the mat when she spotted someone approaching. “Got any tips for throwing a decent punch?”

@ttwstarters

[harper-lennox]

She’d had her fill of edibles, of tracking, and of the ropes course. (The last of which had been rather embarrassing considering her lack of climbing skills.) She wanted to run her fingers over the smooth, metallic weapons but what use was it? No one needed training on how to use a spear, only on how to turn wielding it into an art.

She ended up by the mats, eyes sliding over Ashten as she warmed up. “Nothing fancy,” she said with a shrug. Her thoughts smoothed over the memory of her bruising up a local boy who couldn’t take no for a hint. “Thumb outside of fist and all but nothing else really.”

[dreamsbornofgrain]

TRIBUTE PARADE – DISTRICT NINE

Once the homemade tornado died down, the tributes for District Nine were revealed. For the male, an expertly deconstructed suit with carefully placed tears and dirt to complete the tornado inspired look. For Harper, an elegant look of the wind-swept Goddess of the storms that frequent District Nine in the spring. The wind-swept hairstyles, the storm-battered appearance, is meant to showcase the strength, power, and unpredictability of the weather; a power in which even the strongest cannot contain. The silvers play on the grays of the storm, the shine of the rain, and the ambiance of the calm both before and after the storm.

District Nine’s tributes are here to send a message, that they are an unstoppable force of nature.

@harper-lennox

[harper-lennox]

“There’s a first for everything,” she pointed out. While that would have meant her own death, something in Ashten didn’t want to see Harper lose all hope in herself. “Who knows, maybe Aspen’s got a gift for mentoring and you’ll make it out of there.” It was a stretch, but Ashten had seen weirder things happen in The Games.

The smile widened on her face, gathering her lower lip between her teeth. She may not have known how to talk to sponsors and may not have wanted to make friends with the kids she was about to be faced in a fight to the death with, but that realization was shoved at the back of her mind right now, with Harper. For a while, she could forget why they were there in the first place. Her brow rose, “Roller blades? What’re those?”

“As you said, though, let’s not hold our breaths.” She was relaxed now, and letting a real smile fall over her features. Casually discussing your own demise might not be considered normal for most but she’d grown up with kids that expected a short and often bitter life. If you took that stuff too heart you just ended up a shell. Some macabre humor was a necessity. 

“So get this.” She knocked Ashten’s shoulder lightly as she slid closer on the cushions. “So there an old world invention, right. People put wheels on the bottom of shoes and you can just go rolling down the street on them. Or you know, for us, some long ass hallways.” Imagining herself flying past escorts, avoxes, and peacekeepers wearing those on her feet made her almost giddy. “I’m going to pester my escort until she brings me some. Lay it on thick with the dying wish and all.” 

[harper-lennox]

Solar didn’t want to say anything, but he knew that doing that would mean a death sentence. People often had the misconception that Careers were these big, dumb brutes. They were smart, too. Most of them, at least. He remained quiet as Harper spoke about her plans, taking note of those but also not holding out that she was telling an honest story.

“Foxface,” Solar said with a small nod of his head. “Yeah. Her parents still show up once in a while. Her Mom looks worse for wear, but… yeah. She was something.”

“You districts and your names,” she muttered. What exactly was the appeal of a name like Cashmere or Glitter or even Pixel? Her gaze was down at her hands as she spoke. “It’s an odd thing to say, but I’m glad my parents aren’t around anymore. Better them not have to witness something like this. What family I have left will get over it.”

[harper-lennox]

The Hunger Games wasn’t really a place to be making friends, she knew that.  Here, she was supposed to be fighting for her life, to do whatever it takes to get back home and to her family. But had she known Harper in a different scenario, maybe they would have been friends. Yet she had to consider Harper an enemy, or at least an alliance if she wanted to go home. But even in an alliance, there was the inevitable end. She cleared her throat, brushing a strand of hair from her face.

“Yeah, I get that,” she replied, brow slightly knit, “Anger seems to be Johanna Mason’s natural state, so there’s not a ton of comfort there. But hey, they’ve made it out of this before, so they have to know a thing or two about what they’re doing.” But she also understood the honest approach– just to have it be told to them straight. “What would that ‘something fun’ be?”

“Yeah well Mason’s had a little more experience with this then my mentor has. It’s like I’m the training wheels. I mean, can you think of someone who’s brought home a victor their first year mentoring?”

She tucked the leaf behind her ear as she smiled, tongue in cheek. Don’t like her, she thought, just don’t even go there. Things like this were what got tributes killed in the games. “Oh I don’t know. Really anything. There’s no way out of this tower without triggering about a thousand alarms I’m sure, but that doesn’t mean I can’t have something brought to me. My escort told me about these things called roller blades, they don’t sound half bad.”

[harper-lennox]

She paused when Harper reached out, looking up toward her hand and sitting still to let her pluck one of the leaves from her crown. Her cheeks felt warm at the small, gentle gesture and she dropped her gaze to the cookie on her plate. “Well, thanks,” she chuckled, offering a sheepish shrug of her shoulders. “I’d say you wouldn’t look as bad as a stock of wheat, either, but that’d be kind of weird…”

“Kind of,” she admitted, “they have a better idea of what I’m in for than I do. And Seven’s had a pretty recent Victor, so… but I don’t know if they want to hold their breath, either, y'know?”

“Yeah I don’t think anyone could pull that off. I’d just end up looking like some tiny little scarecrow and itching all crazy.” She ran the leaf between her fingers, the design and smoothness of it completely foreign to her. Any other different circumstance she could definitely see herself liking this stranger. She didn’t seem frightened like most or to be putting on any show. Her throat felt tight at that though though and she shoved it down. 

She smiled and nodded at Ashten’s words. “Yeah, I feel like mine just wants me to be comfortable, you know? Not afraid or whatever. It’s stupid. I’d much rather just have it told to me straight, pig out on some sweets, and do something fun before my invariably gruesome demise.”

[harper-lennox]

[harper-lennox]

It was as if Harper had crawled into his brain and took out all the things that he knew was wrong with his plan. He heard Briella’s voice in his head explaining that she was good enough and he didn’t have to come here for her. He heard his mentors’ voices in what he assumed would be in his inevitable dressing down.

“Have you watched any Hunger Games before?” he asked, trying to cover up the insecurities that she had just dragged to the surface. “Have you seen every capable Career in the last three years meet their inevitable doom, some by mere chance?” He shook his head at her, apparently everyone delusional in the idea that the Games would be won by the one who was the best on paper.

“You seem to know a lot about the workings of Career alliances. You’re smart, Harper,” he stated, trying the Career intimidation he witnessed at the Academy while he was there. “Did you want to be in the Pack, is that it?” Max didn’t want to answer any more questions that might put him and Briella more at risk.

“Of course I have.” She wouldn’t have blamed chance on any of the careers recent failures. Some were too proud, others too empathetic or hesitant. Giving in to that, even for a couple minutes, was just inviting someone to stick a knife through your ribs. She’d watched all the games carefully, analyzing the players and sheltering away any emotions. But she didn’t exactly want to give away the fact that she’d been studying career weaknesses for the past decade. “Maybe your right, but that girl, she looks more than capable to me.”

She laughed at his next words. “Yeah, the smartest twelve year old dropout in district nine. I just - I’m good at watching people. Been doing it all my life. My mother used to be mayor of district nine and she’d have lots of interesting dinner guests.” She’d sit at the corner of the table at watch peacekeepers, rebels, and field workers. None wanted to talk to her, but that wasn’t of any consequence, she gained more from being ignored. She sensed the shift in the conversation, but rolled with it. She did want to have some part in the pack. “Would you even consider that?”

[harper-lennox]

─────   ‘ ARE YOU ACCUSING ME OF BEING DELUSIONAL? ’    she was almost certain about that.   she just wanted to see how the girl would respond.   most would shudder in fear  but something told her this girl wouldn’t.   she respected that.    iunia knew that people put her in a box.   she was a heartless career with no weaknesses.   as much as she wished that was true,   it wasn’t.

curiosity peaked,   iunia leaned forward,   basking a little in her own personal victory at being right,   ‘ if that’s not the full story,  what is? ’   she raised an eyebrow.   this girl was not like the what she had been expecting.   mother had always told her that the outlying districts were weak.   they were cowards who accepted death.   when it came to the girl in front of her,   iunia thought otherwise.    ‘ who are you besides the labels? ’

It wasn’t so much that Harper wasn’t afraid of her current situation. She was scared to die and terrified that what awaited her would be painful, but she was more concerned about ensuring she met her fate face on. No begging, no whimpering, no weakness. That was something she had full control over. So she smiled at Iunia and nodded. “Yeah. A little bit. But it’d kind of cute on you so I’m not to annoyed by the fact that you think I’m nothing more than manufactured hunk of clay.”

She gestured toward the couch next to her, extending another olive branch toward the career. “Well for one I’m double jointed, and I dropped out of school before I was thirteen despite being top of my class, and I’m a really terrible singer. Like I could probably torture you better with ring around the rosie than any peacekeeper with a whip could.”

[harper-lennox]

I need to introduce you to Pixel,” she told Harper with a laugh. The two of them seemed to share a lot of similarities, which could be a good thing in the arena. Pixel had won after all. “Who knows, perhaps if you can go without being seen you could just steal some things from the Careers and lay low until it’s over.” It had worked fairly well for Aspen. She hadn’t actually had to do any fighting other than with the skeleton mutts at the end of the games. Well, that and the kraken.

She nodded. “Then I think we need to bring the storm to the Capitol.” No one could understand the strength and power of the storms unless they experienced them. You could always tell the new Peacekeepers because they ran as soon as the sirens went off. The locals, they only ran when it got really bad or the hail fell. “But it’ll be a lot of work, so lets get going now. I can tell you the idea on the way if you like?”

“I’m not that good at the hiding or the patience,” she said, shaking her head at the suggestion. She didn’t think it was in her to lie down in a ditch waiting for a finale. She worked strategy instead. She’d known how to play off her friends strengths for years and how to wrangle them, that’s why they’d been so successful. “I have another plan in mind.”

She stood, stretching out her legs at her mentor’s words and sensing the time for sitting around stuffing her face with snacks was ending. “Hit me with it.”

[harper-lennox]

Solar breathed quietly and softly. He didn’t need her to start getting her inklings now. She seemed like a clever person and he knew immediately that he had to be careful with her. As much as he liked her attitude, making friends wasn’t something that seemed like a smart move. Only one came out alive from these things. It needed to be him, even if he didn’t feel confident he could.

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Solar said, careful with his words this time. “I mean, it’s not like she can be trained. The worst she can be is know how to use a bow and arrow like her sister, right?”

She shrugged. She wasn’t exactly, at this point, ranking her worst threats be weaponry skills. Aspen was no warrior and no killer but she’d just come out of the Hunger Games as their newest victor. She needed to work hard on ensuring she didn’t end up on the wrong side of their skill set, but other than that anyone who survived the bloodbath and had half a brain could work there way toward the top five at least. 

“That’s a good way of thinking. What’s the worst a person could be right now.” She looked back to Solar. “You got any plan once this shit show gets rolling?”